


Indulging a Whim

by acf151



Series: Order Falling [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game), Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Carbonite, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Imprisonment, Jedi Holocron, Medical Examination, Medical Experimentation, Medical Torture, Prisoner of War, Psychological Torture, Psychometry, Restraints, Sith Holocron, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:49:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21747805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acf151/pseuds/acf151
Summary: Emperor Palpatine freezes some of the Jedi imprisoned by the Order of Inquisitors in carbonite, for later study.  Cal Kestis is one of them.
Series: Order Falling [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593052
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81





	Indulging a Whim

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BitZombie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitZombie/gifts), [CheapBourbon (blank_ghost)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blank_ghost/gifts).

Today Lord Vader was out hunting down more of the traitorous Jedi. Roughly half of the Inquisitors were on assignment. He had a break in his schedule. A dark cloaked figure walked calmly past levels and rows of hexagon-shaped cells. Some had activated containment fields, and contained occupants. Others waited patiently. It was a large facility for so few occupants.

When he could take a break from the business of running his galaxy, Emperor Sheev Palpatine indulged himself on some of the luckless prisoners, and glory in his real conquest over the Jedi Order. He found that he did not strictly need to travel to Nu that often. The Force roiled with a suffering that could be felt as far as Imperial Center.

Really, now that the bulk of the Order had been slain, Sheev was only too thrilled to have a captive stable of force adepts under his thumb. Most of those who had not died in the initial forays, or under later processing were former Padawans or creche brats. Relatively weak examples of the Order at that. None of these were able to help him with his researches into some of the more esoteric aspects of the Force. At least, not as anything other than test subjects. There were a handful of notable exceptions, however. Four or five masters that were no match for the combat skills of Lord Vader. 

Although what remained of the main archive at the Jedi Temple had been carefully collected and relocated for his perusal, he had found that on some things, even the vaunted Jedi reputation for learning and reserve would not help him. Many of the masters within the Jedi holocrons refused to have anything to do with him. To combine them with the Sith holocrons and artifacts he had carefully preserved from his own master risked corrupting the data therein entirely. 

As he would not risk Anakin’s fragile state and enraged loyalty on his research—really, why risk losing all the effort of turning him to a clever Jedi Master’s recording—he needed a special adept. One malleable enough to be compliant and helpful, without there being a real risk of the adept taking that knowledge and using it against him. Someone with a handicap that could be exploited.

So here he was, searching for a confederate.

Palpatine paused in front of one cell. The air was kept primarily cold, ten degrees below normal human ranges. Like most, the adept inside was naked, and certainly in mental anguish, but in relatively sound physical health. This one had dull eyes, resigned. No spark of vitality or intelligence about them. The Force was with them, but no one was home. 

And so, it proved. Some had that spark of intelligence, but no longer had the manual dexterity needed. Or the vision. Or the ability to hear his commands through anything but the Force. Some could no longer communicate. Cybernetics were a field he’d have to continue to expand. One could only do so much with droids. Cell after cell, though not as many as he could have wished. Some were still unbroken, and could not currently serve. 

Palpatine paused in front of a particular cell. Unlike the rest, this human was noticeably catatonic and sprawled in a shallow pool of his own sweat. Fine tremors shivered up and down his skin. Hmm.  
At a command, the prisoner’s number was noted and stored so he could pull his file for later study. After looking through all that his prison had to offer, Sheev had collected only a few names. 

Perhaps his focus for the day should change. 

***

A close perusal of the Inquisitorius’ records and cross-checking them with what could be unlocked of the Jedi Order’s personnel files revealed that several of the captives harbored rare and exceptional abilities. 

Two could suppress the Force abilities of others. Another was psychometric, hmm. Quinlan Voss could replace that one, once he was collected. Two had some measure of energy resistance, but not to the extent of Lord Vader’s.

Three were from bloodlines that reliably, if occasionally spat out Battle Mediators, and one young adept’s records showed that she was suspected to have the ability, but it had not been confirmed at the time the Order fell. She was fourteen now, six years after Order 66. 

One could Force Walk, no doubt that was how he could still remain relatively composed and alert, despite the crippled leg. 

Two had a measure of beast speech, one could actually turn invisible to the visible spectrum – Ninth Sister, with her enhanced vision had brought that one in before her death. 

Three had been apprenticed to healers in the temple due to their natural aptitude, though they had not completed their studies. 

Quite a collection. There were a few rarer gifts that sometimes developed in such adepts as they matured biologically and in their attunement with the Force. He just did not have the time he needed to properly devote to studying them, their abilities, and how they interacted with the Force. They were not growing younger or remaining particularly stable in their current environment.

Well. That, at least, could be corrected. 

At a word, his Stormtroopers and two of his Inquisitors began collecting specific names and numbers from his list. 

***

One of the benefits of being the apprentice of Darth Plagueis the Wise, was a complete understanding of the effects of carbon freezing on the ability and fertility of force adept individuals. Which was to say, minimal, beyond the usual initial dehydration, dizziness, blindness and a measure of amnesia. Which was all to the good – this would make them even less defiant and pliant to his wishes. Any special aptitudes they possessed would come through the process cleanly, even after years and decades of stasis. 

The effects could be even further mitigated and the length of viability extended if one used a particular combination of Force healing and preservation techniques and precision instruments. Fortunately, Palpatine’s foresight ensured that he had such instruments on hand. Death was always a risk, but one he knew how to forestall. Again, thank you for your kind tutelage, Master.

Of the fifteen specific captive adepts he had isolated, ten were being preserved for his use, along with ten relatively mundane Force adepts as test control subjects. While most were human, a Miralan, Twilek, and four other aliens were part of the group.

The eighth subject was posing a problem. 

“Majesty,” the medical droid explained, hovering over the medical bed that the red-headed human was strapped to. A full hydration rig was filling him with enough nutrients and minerals he would need to maximize his chances of survival. “This subject is simply too exhausted in his current state to be certain he would survive the carbonation process. You could lose him.”

It was the catatonic young man from earlier. Though a blanket had been draped over his legs and torso, he was still shivering. The psychometric—Cal Kestis. 

Looking closely into the Force, the Emperor smiled at the torment he could see the boy was experiencing. He was relieving most of the torments and grief he had personally been subjected to, his time in the processing restraints. That, combined with his abilities, had led him to experience the full weight of such treatment from every being who had occupied that table. The feedback was too much for him to be expected to remain  
conscious, as the weeks dragged by, but his self, his soul, was still present and fighting and vital. 

“Nonsense. Bring him to the chamber. I will see to it he survives.”

Sixth Brother and Second Sister dragged the young man into the carbonation chamber. As had the rest of his specimens, he had been dressed in a full medical suit to take some of the brunt of the carbonite freezing. It was always better to not accidently flay his specimens with the process. Nineteen slabs stood, silent and activated waiting to be moved to his ship for transport to any number of his hidden fortresses. 

Once the boy had been strapped in the fresh, waiting frame, and the Inquisitors had stepped back to a safe distance, Palpatine approached him. A wave of the Force, and the boy’s hands rose in front of him. Carefully, Palpatine tipped a velvet bag into those hands, and slid a Jedi holocron into direct contact with his skin. This one had been taken from the halls of healing. 

After twenty long minutes, his hands lightly grasped the cube, and the interior began to glow a soothing blue. Green eyes opened to sanity and the waking world for the first time in over a month. His lungs filled with a full, deep breath, and his chin tipped back off his chest. Green eyes met wizened dark ones, which began to smile in almost grandfatherly, kindly, triumph. 

“I should thank you Cal Kestis, for confirming my theory. Only a Jedi can fully access the secrets of their holocrons. I shall have to preserve some members of their Order so that I may explore their knowledge and twist it to my purposes.” With that, the velvet bag was dropped over the holocron and taken from Cal’s hands.

Cal’s face and shoulders went rigid with shock and alarm. His muscles cried to him he must move. His bones screamed at him to collapse. The Emperor was in front of him. The Emperor. Cal’s heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline spiking through his veins. 

“Close your eyes, boy. We will discuss your employment later.” A command through the Force determined that Cal had no choice but to shut his eyes, but he remained awake. 

The Sith Lord stepped back, and with a more visible hand signal, the carbonation freezing began. 

Once the last of his specimens had been successfully processed, the Stormtroopers readied a final frame.

“Second Sister. Your service to me has been exemplary. I have need of your service now.” Again, the grandfatherly charisma filled his voice. The voice that had deceived and won over an entire galaxy, against their wishes.

“Yes, my Master.” Second Sister stepped forward.

“I will need at least one of my trusted servants to be available to me, when I start waking my subjects. As combined, these twenty have been responsible for the loss of four of your brethren, I should like to ensure the success of this project with maximum efficiency. Stand in the frame. I assure you, it is quite safe.”

With a sinking heart, Second Sister walked calmly over to the carbonite frame. Sixth Brother looked impassively back at her. Neither had any real choice. The Force served them and they served their master well.

Sixth Brother oversaw the arrangements to move the slabs to the ship.

***

With contingency measures settled, and his theory confirmed, Palpatine went back to perusing his prisoners. Perhaps a younger one would do better. One innocent enough to placate the holocrons, while young enough to mold to loyalty.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, my fellow fandom. You all have inspired me to write this, and leave enough room for creativity. Especially boganodawns for your tumblr page, BitZombie with their fic Strings, and cheapbourbon with some of their art. So, for those who would like Cal and Second Sister (although, if that’s Trilla or her replacement, I’ll leave up to you) to be available to the Sequel timeline; here’s a possible way it was done. I’ve even left it open enough that other poor unfortunates can make that transition as well.  
I did not expect to get hit this hard by your stories and this facet of Star Wars fandom, but I did. Thank you all.


End file.
